you dont need to go to this firm. in fact, you'r rate of success will be bigger if you educate you're self and trade in a retail way (home or office)... if you want to trade in this firm, better go to goldman sach or UBS, the process is less stressfull and they have a much much much better deal. i'll give you and advice.. if you live un NYC.. Go to Mark fisher office talk to him and tell him to "give you a intership, free of pay" for 3 month.. you'll learn more about trading that in a harvard B school.. if you really want to be a trader, go to the greater of all time..(and he is a great teacher and a great man).. dont waist you're time trying to prove something to a bunch of guys that only want you to trade their way... just take a look at those retail and prop firms turnarounds.. if you live in NY or chicago, then go with the "old timers" MBF,UBS,GOLGDMAN etc etc if you really have a decent resume, just PM, I cant get you a very good interview at UBS NY (after new year vacations of curse)... happy 2006
FNYS does have a great program and very tough to get in as they are selective and hire very few. Also its tough once in as well as its a trading only outfit. Now they also seed other managers and have a fund of funds unit.
I interviewed at FNYS about a month ago, along with half a dozen other firms with less attractive training programs i.e. cap contribution and no likely income for 6-10 months. I'm a recent ivy league grad with a Series 7/66, thought I'd have a decent shot at FNYS but kinda got the runaround for a month. Any suggestions on getting started in trading for someone like myself?
Same trading principles and same ways to make money. All this chasing the best firm out there is absolutely ridiculous. What do you think you're going to learn at this place that you can't learn anywhere else? Do you honestly expect to learn some super secret system that guarantees success? Come on guys, wake up. They offer a salary as a draw against what you make so it's really paying yourself. They make you commit to them for such a long time for you to churn commissions for them while keeping you under wraps knowing that they have you by the balls. I've been with a prominent firm for a while and the same BS hype surrounded my former firm when I joined them. All this secrecy and hard to get in BS is a smoke screen to sucker people into a long, unfruitful, and very often detrimental relationship for the trader going into the deal. Get over who's best, pick a good solid firm and go after it. My 2 cents.
I didn't say FNYS was the best, they do offer a lot of training or they say they do, they do offer a pretty good draw after that training, but most of the other prop firms I've talked to so far either require money up front or after 3 months, depending on when they let you trade with decent capital, and offer no draw at all, all which makes it pretty difficult to get into
[fenix2609 Registered: Jan 2006 Posts: 2 01-09-06 11:25 PM I interviewed at FNYS about a month ago, along with half a dozen other firms with less attractive training programs i.e. cap contribution and no likely income for 6-10 months. I'm a recent ivy league grad with a Series 7/66, thought I'd have a decent shot at FNYS but kinda got the runaround for a month. Any suggestions on getting started in trading for someone like myself?] TRY A BIG BANKS PROGRAM IN INSTUTITUTIONAL EQUITIES! IF NOT LOOK FOR WHO YOU KNOW WITHIN FIRST NEW YORK...maybe speak to Mike Dimino or Mario Maugeri @ FNYS
That's corporate. You'll be pulling 80 hour weeks for a while before they even let you anywhere near trading. But if that's what you want, then go for it.
Prop shops are always at the bottom of the barrel. No two ways about it. If you are really good and deserves a chance at trading, you should have worked your socks off to get into a good school, then work your ass off to get an offer from a bank. That is the first step, after which, go prove yourself to your boss and get your own book. All those who diss banks simply never made it there. Or those who did and are now are prop, simply couldn't make it to be one of the top dogs. Simple as that. It is a competitive job, judged daily by p&l. Only a handful make it.
congratulation on reopening this thread after a 2 year hiatus. my outlook is best expressed from the following quote "Take a walk on the wild side and trade your own capital,and then let me know what your true market value is...." from taowave"